Back where it all began: the Battle of Ruusan
by J. Hellscythe
Summary: When Darth Bane attempted the Essence Transfer on his apprentice Zannah, the Dark Side of the Force saw it fit to intervene, and send them back in time. Now they are back where it all began, at The Battle of Ruusan. Main pairing BanexGithanyxadult zannah (she's ten at the beginning of the story) others are yet to be decided.
1. Chapter 1

**Back To Where It All Began: The Battle of Ruusan  
**

HEY GUYS, Jack Hellscythe here, and I just wanted to post a new story. This one involves Darth Bane, Darth Zannah, and Cognus (like my other Star Wars Fic) being sent back in time when Bane attempted the Essence transfer. Be sure to read and review.

OH, and if any of you are readers of my story **Revenge of the Sith: Alternate Universe**, I'd just like to say that I intend to rewrite my most recent update, since it felt rushed to me.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own star wars; that goes to George Lucas and/or Disney.

Summary: When Darth Bane attempted the Essence Transfer on his apprentice Zannah, the Dark Side of the Force saw it fit to intervene, and send them back in time. Now they are back where it all began, at The Battle of Ruusan.

**CHAPTER 1**

Bane knew something was off the moment he came to. He was still in his body, but the aches and pains brought about by aging weren't there anymore, or rather, weren't as bad. In fact the last time he felt this good had been right before he joined the Brotherhood of Darkness.

XxxX

Zannah knew something had gone wrong when her Master attempted whatever it was he had attempted. The fact that she was in her ten year old body on Somov Rit was proof of that. She cast her False Light Side Aura Spell and began expanding her awareness through the force. She could sense her cousins, Hardin and Darovit arguing nearby, and Root having a discussion with a Jedi. If memory served her right, this happened just before they went to Ruusan. She could sense that her master was still alive, and decided to reach out with the Force and contact him, '_Master, can you hear me?_'

XxxX

As Bane soon discovered, he was on the same vessel that took him to Korriban all those years ago, he began meditating. He wasn't sure why, but the Dark Side had seen it fit to bring him here to this point in time. then he heard a familiar voice call out to him through the Force, '_Master, can you hear me._'

Bane was a bit surprised to hear Zannah contacting him through the Force Bond they had developed as a result of her Apprenticeship, '_I see you're here too, Zannah._'

'_In a manner of speaking, My Master,_' she countered, '_How did you bring us to this point in time?_'

Bane mentally sighed, this was going to be difficult to explain, '_I didn't mean to if that's what you're asking, truth be told I was trying to use what is called the essence transfer._'

'_Essence Transfer,_' asked Zannah, he could feel the intensity of her hostility.

Bane answered, '_You were taking too long to challenge me, so I feared you were going to wait until time had made me too weak to defend myself._'

'_YOU TRY FINDING A WILLING APPRENTICE WHO HAS THE POWER TO SURPASS YOU WITHOUT A CLUE AS TO WHERE TO FIND SOMEONE WHO FITS THAT DESCRIPTION!_'

Bane mentally face-palmed for not realizing it; she had been looking out for the orders best interests the entire time!

'_I had a feeling that would be the case,_' added a new voice, one Bane recognized as the Iktotchi that he had recruited, '_you too Cognus?_'

'_Yes my master._'

'_Your master,_' seethed Zannah.

'_She's a willing apprentice, Zannah,_' countered Bane, '_Now I have to figure out how to do away with the Brotherhood all over again._'

'_Perhaps that won't be necessary just yet,_' added Cognus.

'_Explain,_' Bane and Zannah asked simultaneously.

'_We now have the tools needed to destroy the Jedi in the form of the Brotherhood, all we need to do is gain control,_' she explained.

'_I like this girl already,_' Zannah replied gleefully.

'_I good plan, all things considered,_' added Bane before asking both, '_where are you._'

'_Somov Rit, soon to be heading to Ruusan,_' stated Zannah

'_Iktoch, in my local village,_' replied Cognus, '_shall I make my way to Ruusan and link up with Lady Zannah?_'

Bane mulled it over before giving the Iktotchi the affirmative, and they all agreed to meet where Bane had first set down on Ruusan in _The Valcyn_. Since Zannah knew the exact Location, she told Cognus where it was they would meet. Seeing nothing else to do, Bane went back to his meditations.

XxxX

Cognus made her way to where she had found an old S-250 _Chela_-class Starfighter. It had been there for centuries, if anything, it's a miracle that it still runs at all. She sat down in the cockpit and began the startup sequence. "Good thing I found this old thing just after the seventh Battle of Ruusan ended the first time around," she mused to herself, "makes getting out of here that much easier."

She saw it was ready for takeoff, and commanded the Navicomputer to plot a course for Russan, knowing how long it would take just to do so. She made it out of the atmosphere with little effort; nobody really paid any attention to a single starship leaving the planet's surface. All that was left for her to do was wait for the Navicomputer to finish calculating the course before making the jump into hyperspace. After another five minutes, the time had come.

XxxX

Zannah had a hard time keeping her temper in check, it had been so long since she had to deal with her cousins fighting that she had forgotten how aggravating they could be. She was so tempted to bring their nightmares to life before their very eyes, but stayed her hand. Now was neither the time nor the place to do so, but soon, soon she would kill the Jedi and punish her foolish cousins for all the torment they had brought upon her.

After another half an hour of waiting, it was finally time for them to board the XS Stock Light Freighter that had taken them to Ruusan the first time. She decided she would strike before they made the jump into hyperspace, since they had made a few other stops before heading to Ruusan, it would be the perfect chance to hijack the vessel.

She waited in the main hold alongside her cousins until the ship had made it out of the atmosphere, at which point she got up. "Hey Rain," called her cousin Darovit, "Where you going."

"Where ever the fuck I want, Tomcat," she snapped at him before stomping off.

Hardin and Darovit were completely caught off guard by the sudden display of anger their cousin had shown them, and decided to follow her. That decision would come to haunt them for the rest of their lives. Zannah was just outside the cockpit when she stretched out her hand and called upon the force to take the Jedi's Lightsaber from his belt. With the weapon now in her hand, Zannah dropped the False Light Side Aura Spell, her eyes now glowing with the Dark Side, and ignited the weapon, "Oh, I'm going to enjoy this."

The Jedi was horrified by what he saw, this ten year old girl not only stole his Lightsaber, but had somehow fallen to the Dark Side and intended to kill him. He didn't get a chance to say anything when he felt the sensation of several white hot knives stabbing into his brain, seeking out his darkest fears. Seeing the Demons of his nightmares manifest before his very eyes distracted him from the Lightsaber being shoved through his chest. The Pilot soon joined him in death, via decapitation.

Zannah began to cackle manically before abruptly stopping. She walked up to the corpses of her victims, and used the force to remove all useful items from their person, a blaster pistol from the pilot being the most notable prize, before turning her attention to her two terrified cousins. "I'll explain everything in a moment, first I have to dispose of the bodies, after which I'll plot a course for Ruusan," she then used the force to carry the bodies to the airlock, "until then, you are to stay in the main hold and wait for me."

The boys were too terrified to say anything, so they just nodded and did as they were told. The silence lasted five seconds before Darovit lost his shit, "Just WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON WITH RAIN, BUG!?"

"Calm down Tomcat-"

"HOW THE HELL CAN I CALM DOWN, RAIN JUST KILLED A JEDI, BUG, A FUCKING JEDI LIKE IT'S SOMETHING SHE DOES EVERYDAY!"

"I KNOW DAMMIT," Hardin snapped, "but that's not the only thing I noticed."

Darovit finally quieted down a bit before asking, "W-what did you see bug?"

"Rain's eyes," he began, "they weren't blue; they were glowing yellow."

Darovit realized then and there that he had seen it too, but hadn't realized it in the heat of the moment.

"What do you think it means," Darovit whispered.

"It means I'm a Sith dear cousins," answered Zannah in an extremely pleased tone. The two turned to see Rain with those same glowing eyes from before smirking as she stood before them, "And I, Darth Zannah, shall use my Sorceries to show you everything that lead up to this from my point of view." Zannah quickly ran through the hand symbols as she chanted something in a language neither had ever heard before. It wasn't too long before the

It wasn't too long before the world melted away, to be replaced with Zannah's entire history. From the death of her friend Laa, to her duel with Bane on Ambria, she showed them everything.

Hardin was the first to find his voice, "You expect us to believe this Rain?"

"No, but considering how easily I dispatched of that Jedi, I'd say it's at least plausible," She countered.

"What," Began Darovit, "what was it you used to drive me insane?"

"The same Sorcery I used to keep the Jedi from fighting back, it brings your darkest nightmares to life before your very eyes," answered Zannah with a smug look on her face. "Which reminds me, I owe both of you dipshit's for all the times you drove me up the wall with your bickering." She then used a toned down version of the same thing on both, knowing it would be just enough to scare them half to death.

As the two struggled to get to their feet Zannah continued, "I'll need you two to man the laser turrets, while I fly this thing through the blockade, once we reach the surface, we'll be linking up with another time traveler like myself," she grabbed some cloth from a nearby closet and sat down in the tech's chair, "She's an Iktotchi called Cognus."

XxxX

Bane had decided to prevent that fool Qordis from putting his blood on his head was in his best interests, he had no desire to go through that again. He had also been sowing seeds of doubt and distrust for Kaan's philosophies, none more than all Sith being equal.

XxX

FLASHBACK

XxX

Bane didn't really listen to what Qordis had to say on the Brotherhoods philosophies, he already knew they were wrong. He barely managed to keep the grin off his face when a thought passed his head, and waited for the fool to bring up all Sith being Equal.

The minute Bane heard the words left the fools mouth, he laughed, "Equality is a Lie; there will always be somebody out there who happens to be your better, it's one of the requirements of taking a personal apprentice, to train the one who would become your better."

Qordis narrowed his eyes at Bane, "Is that so, Bane."

"The apprentice will inevitably rise up and destroy their master, ripping the title of Dark Lord from the masters hands; it is inevitable, axiomatic," he explained calmly.

"Is that how you want to die, at the hands of your own apprentice," Qordis asked angrily.

"If they have truly surpassed me, then yes," the finality in his voice left no room for argument.

XxX

FLASHBACK END

XxX

As a result, Githany believed he wanted to lead the Brotherhood, only this time, she wasn't too far from the truth. He had also noticed that her mind was going stronger, as if being in his presence was strengthening her, making it easier for her to resist Kaan. The fact that he had seen her reading the old tomes and scrolls found in the academies library meant she was hungry for knowledge like he himself had been the first time around. Suddenly, he had an idea, one that would make things easier after the war was over.

XxxX

Zannah and Cognus were about to half an hour away from Ruusan when Bane contacted them.

'_Let me see if I've got this straight, you believe that we can win the war this time around, and as a result, want to expand the number of Sith beyond the rule of two in order to hunt down renegade Jedi,_' questioned Zannah.

'_More like choose a select few who show promise, and possess the needed understanding of the Dark Side to use as agents who will hunt down any survivors,_' Bane answered, _'Besides, you don't expect two people to have the ability to hunt down ALL the Jedi, do you?_'

Cognus could feel Zannah's frustration; she had come to understand why Bane instated the Rule of Two, and had seen the quality of the results first hand. '_It does seem to be the best method, milady_.'

'_You make it sound like I'm going to be the empress consort of the Sith Empire,_' Zannah grumbled, she was not prepared for what came next.

'_Not yet,_' Began Cognus.

'_But you will be,_' finished Bane.

There was about thirty seconds of silence before Zannah responded, '_excuse me for a moment, I have some celebrating to do._'

Bane could feel Zannah's excitement through their force bond, and had little doubt that her cousins were scared shitless.

XxxX

Darovit and Hardin were beyond terrified at this point; Zannah had declared herself the empress consort of Darth Banes Sith Empire. "You think she knows that it'll take some time destroy all the Jedi," Hardin asked Darovit.

"I think that's why she declared herself the Empress consort in the first place," Darovit mumbled, "she knows it'll take years for her master to secure his reign, so she probably figures that she'll be pushing twenty by the time that happens."

"If I knew Zannah wasn't one to lie about something this big, I wouldn't believe any of it," groaned Hardin.

Darovit laughed and said, "You got that right, cuz; you got that right."

Hardin grinned and added, "It also doesn't hurt that you being powerless all the sudden helps prove her point."

Darovit glared daggers at Hardin. "Now, now, bug, Darovit has a talent for healing, which makes him extremely useful," spoke Zannah, who had snuck up on them for the umpteenth time; Sith Sorcery was simply too much fun in her opinion.

Hardin was at his wits end at this point and screamed, "WILL YOU STOP DOING THAT ZANNAH!"

"Doing what," she asked with faux innocence in her voice.

"Scaring the life out of us," answered Darovit in an unamused tone, he was beginning to not give a damn, "it was scary the first few times, but now it's just monotonous."

Zannah grinned widely, "I didn't know you knew such a big word Tomcat."

Darovit glared at her and was about to say something when the Navicomputer signaled they had reached their destination, "get to those turret's boys, I'll need all my focus to break through the blockade."

As the ship came out of Hyperspace, they saw a _Chela_-class Starfighter come out of Hyperspace not too far from their position. Zannah noticed the vessel was trying to open up a private Comm channel with them, and sensed Cognus' presence within it, "Hey girlfriend, what's happening."

"Somebody is an exceptionally good mood," the Iktotchi giggled, "so tell me, Lady Zannah, how do we get past that blockade?"

"That hunkajunk armed," inquired Zannah.

"I had tested it the first time around when I had found it," replied Cognus, "it was fully operational then, so it'll definitely be operational this early in the game."

Zannah smirked, "Good, and to answer your question, we fight our way through."

"I'd say you're insane, if it wasn't for the overwhelming confidence I'm sensing from you Lady Zannah," mused Cognus.

Zannah grinned savagely, "It's just a matter of timing my dear apprentice."

XxxX

Bane was at Kas'im's lightsaber class, an area he excelled in more than ever before, waiting for the part where the apprentices were allowed to challenge each other to a duel. Bane remembered how effectively he had crushed Sirak in one on one combat, so he wanted to one up himself by taking the fool and his lackey's at the same time.

The time had finally come and Bane proclaimed, "I'll take the Zabrak Trio."

Sirak and the twins, Llokay and Yevra, laughed at the new comer. "Such arrogance will get you killed Bane," mocked Sirak.

"It's not arrogance if you can back it up," The Sith'ari countered.

Whispers went around as the Zabrak's stepped into the ring, followed by gasps as Bane tossed his weapon aside saying, "I won't need this to take you three down."

Sirak lost his cool and charged in, only to be blasted by a torrent of Force Lightning; the twins were hit as well, though not as badly as Sirak was. "Remember this day," Bane said to the fool, "this is the day you met your better." He then walked away with a smug grin on his face.

XxX

Later that night, Kas'im stopped by Bane's room, asking why he did what he did.

"To prove that the force is the greatest weapon there is," he answered.

Kas'im nodded in understanding before asking, "Why didn't you kill them?"

"Because that would be a waste of good fighters," he retorted.

Kas'im smiled, he liked that answer, "I shall reward you for your insight." He then gave Bane the same curved-hilt lightsaber that had been with him for so many years, the familiarity of the handle was a welcome one.

"Thank you, master," Bane replied; it was a rare thing for him to be genuinely thankful for anything.

"That weapon belonged to my master," explained Kas'im, "Your philosophy about the old ways brought up many valid points in my opinion."

Bane smirked; it seemed he possessed the power to undo what Kaan had done so far, "Someone has to be the voice of reason."

"In deed," mused Kas'im before he went back to his quarters.

After the Twilek had left, Bane went to work creating a Synth-crystal for his lightsaber, doubting he'd be here much longer.

Halfway through the process he sensed a familiar presence outside his door, "Come on in Githa, I know you want to talk to me."

Githany didn't need further prompting and walked on in, the sight of Bane creating a Synth-crystal pretty much confirmed her suspicions about him, "How can a fellow apprentice possess the knowledge of a master?"

Bane kept working as he called out to Zannah and Cognus, '_where are you right now?_'

'_We just came out of Hyperspace master,_' replied Zannah.

Bane saw a golden opportunity, '_maintain your current position, I'll be there in a few hours to help you bypass the blockade._'

"I can't explain it, so I'll take you to meet someone who can," answered as he put the finishing touches on the Synth-crystal, before putting it in his lightsaber, "we leave for Ruusan no later than midnight, so pack only what you need."

Githany was certain it would have something to do with Kaan. How little you truly know, Githany.

XxX

"Change of plans boys, we wait a few hours for my master to arrive, at which point we'll fly right by the blockade," announced Zannah, much to her cousins relief.

"At least we won't have to fight our way through," commented Darovit.

Hardin simply nodded in agreement before asking, "What do we do to pass the time?"

"Play a few games of sabacc," answered Zannah, who was sitting in the main hold.

The two glanced at one another before shrugging their shoulders, "probably one of the more entertaining solutions," commented Darovit, "how do we play?"

Zannah grinned broadly as she explained the rules, Cognus was a bit jealous though, Iktotchi were never allowed to gamble thanks to their powers of foresight and telepathy.

Cognus grinned savagely when an idea came into her mind for a variant that her species would be able to enjoy.

XxxX

Githany had grabbed the bare essentials for this journey: her Armor, lightwhip, and lightsaber. She knew she wouldn't need anything beyond that, the life of a Sith was never meant to be luxurious. It was quarter till midnight when she reached the landing pad. There, she saw Bane running a Systems check on Qordis' ship, a _T_-class long range personal transport known as _The Valcyn_. "You seem to hold a grudge against Qordis," mumbled Githany, "you've made his life difficult at every turn, and stealing his ship is icing on the cake."

Bane looked up at her and smirked, "If this is the icing, then killing him will be the proverbial cherry on top."

"Why would you do that," she inquired, not seeing a reason to do so.

"Have you seen the amount of jewelry the son of a bitch wears," Bane countered, "he's obviously lining his pockets with funds from both the treasury, and what Kaan has given him to fund the academy."

Githany buried her face into her palm; she really should have seen it.

Bane extended has hand saying, "Let us go and meet with the one who can help me answer your questions."

"So we're going to see Lord Kaan," Githany half asked, half stated as she took his hand, and sat down in his lap.

"No," replied Bane with a smirk as he fired up the engines and took off, "we are going to see a thirty year old woman trapped in the body of her ten year old self."

Githany rolled her eyes and said, "Real funny Bane."

Since he had prepped the Navicomputer before takeoff, Bane had the ship go into Hyperspace as soon as they were outside the atmosphere.

XxxX

Zannah had to admit, Tomcat was a lot better at sabacc than she thought he'd be, seeing how he had won the most games. Bug, however, was the worst sabacc player she'd ever seen: reading his expression was simply that easy.

"This sucks," grumbled Hardin, "every time I get a good hand, you guys fold."

Zannah giggled, "It's not our fault that you have the worst poker face in the galaxy, bug."

"I'm surprised I'm winning as much as I am," added Darovit, "you would think I'd be getting my ass handed to me since my connection to the force is so weak."

Zannah snorted, "Bitch please, you have one of the best poker faces I've come across; we've been playing for close to three hours, and I still haven't figured out what your tell is, Tomcat."

"At least I'm better than you two at something," the brunette said with a grin.

Zannah smirked and said, "The only person I know of that possess a better poker face than you, is my master, Darth Bane."

"I'm pretty certain that Bane is just that scary," countered Hardin. 6'6", biceps the size of his own skull, and pecks the size of his own chest; the man's description alone terrified Hardin beyond all known reason.

"He's actually quite the sight," replied Zannah with a lecherous grin, "if you swing that way."

It took every ounce of will power the two had to keep themselves from throwing up.

"Time to play our hands boys," exclaimed Zannah as she laid her cards on the table, revealing an Idiot, the 2, and the 3 of mistress, "so unless one of you boys have an idiots array of your own, this game is over."

Hardin and Darovit groaned, they threw down their cards, revealing a pure Sabacc each, prompting Darovit to say, "You lucked out Zannah."

Zannah grinned broadly, but before they could shuffle the deck, Zannah sensed a familiar presence, appeared near their position: Bane had finally arrived. "Get your asses into those turrets, boys," ordered Zannah, "Our escort is here, and things like this seldom go according to plan."

"Better safe than sorry, I suppose," Darovit mumbled under his breath. He couldn't blame her after what happened in the previous timeline.

XxX

The first thing Githany noticed upon their arrival was a XS Stock Light Freighter and a _Chela_-class starfighter hanging just far enough away from the Jedi Vessels to be considered bystanders. Though she suspected they were ignored due to the extreme lack of life forms on board, if her senses were to be trusted.

Suddenly, the vessels began powering up, and she realized she could now sense life forms on board the vessels; the one in the ancient starfighter possessed a strong alignment to the Dark Side, but it was wild and untamed, meaning they had no formal training.

There were three others inside the Freighter, one was barely even noticeable in the force, another was untamed like the being inside the fighter, but the third sent shivers down her spine. This third one was even more powerful than Bane, and their abilities just as refined.

Wordlessly, the two ships fell in behind _The Valcyn_, and made their way to the Planets Polar regions, since it doing so allowed them to bypass the Blockade effortlessly.

XxX

The three ships set down in a clearing, several hundred kilometers away from either encampment. Githany climbed out of the ship quickly; the ride had been a little too quiet for her tastes. Bane had seen it fit to spend most of the ride in a hibernation trance, because _The Valcyn_ wasn't built for two people, so he saw it fit to conserve oxygen.

She waited for the master she had sensed to come out of the freighter, only to see three small children, the youngest being a little girl no older than ten, and yet, she was the source of this amazing power. It was then that she realized that Bane had been telling the truth, this little girl was who he had been speaking of.

The girl stepped forward and knelt before Bane, "What is thy bidding, My Master?"

Githany was shocked to hear these words come out of her mouth. "Show her what you showed your cousins, Zannah," ordered Bane.

"It shall be done," she answered as she began weaving symbols in the air, chanting in a Language Githany recognized as Sithese before the world melted away, showing her everything that had occurred from both The Master's point of view, as well as the apprentices.

By the end of it all, Githany was trembling in rage; Kaan was manipulating others with a Mind Trick. "That bastard," she seethed, "I'll kill him, slowly, painfully, and he shall know true hell before the end."

"No, you won't," Bane said calmly, "Kaan is many things, Githany, but weak is NOT one to them."

"Then I suppose you'll be the one to kill him, Darth Bane," Githany asked, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"When the time is right," answered Bane, "but that won't be until the war comes to a stalemate, only then will his incompetence be revealed."

Githany had to admit, there wouldn't be a more perfect time to strike, "so what do we do for the time being?"

Bane turned to Zannah and said, "You, my apprentice, are already a Master as far as I'm concerned, go ahead and begin training Cognus, we have three months to prepare." He then pulled out a small black box that radiated with the Dark Side and opened it to reveal a Synth-crystal Zannah recognized all too easily, "I trust you will put my heart to good use, Zannah."

Zannah was giddy with excitement, she never expected to get this crystal again, but was ecstatic to have possession of the Synth-crystal she named her lightsaber after, Bane's Heart. "I actually have a couple of improvements in mind, such as an interlocking hilt, and a Duel-Phase function for both blades," exclaimed Zannah. She then tossed the lightsaber she had acquired from the Jedi to Cognus, "Come my apprentice, I will show you how to make a Synth-crystal."

Cognus, who looked no older than eight, followed her new master, and paid great attention to everything Zannah said and did while she made her first Synth-crystal.

Bane noted she didn't have her tattoos yet, but knew that would change the moment the Iktotchi got the chance. He then turned his attention to the boys, he could sense the fear radiating off of them, '_Zannah is to blame for their more than justified fear of me no doubt._' He then said, "You two will make yourself useful by scouting the Terrain, and foraging for food, I have little doubt that Cognus will have the meat department covered, once she's done making her Synth-crystal that is."

Not wanting to incur his wrath, the two darted off into the woods, leaving Bane to handle Githany. He began sizing the woman up, "you already possess a great amount of skill, I should be able to get you to where you need to be in overall skill in power by the end of the month, any questions?"

"Will you be instating the Rule of Two when this is over," Githany inquired since that was one question she needs answered here and now.

Bane sighed, "While the Rule of Two would bring the Dark Sides power to its absolute strongest, it would weaken the Sith in the long run by making it easier for the Jedi to hide, therefore, those who survive this war will have proven themselves worthy of being Sith, anything else?"

"When do we begin my training," Asked Githany.

"Right now," answered Bane as he ignited his lightsaber, "and we'll start by developing a Jar'kai style that involves the use of both a Lightsaber and a Lightwhip."

DONE!

Alrighty, I'll explain a few things here and now.

Bane expanding the number of Sith Lords is like I said through his character: it makes hunting the Jedi easier.

Q: Why wait until after the war to reform the Order of Sith Lords? Why not do it after Killing Kaan?

A: He intends to cull the weak from the Order. In the words of Darth Revan: the strong are meant to rule and the weak must serve, that is the way it must be. (personally, I don't totally agree with this, but I understand the concept.)

Until next time my dear readers,

Jack "The Ripper" Hellscythe


	2. Chapter 2

**Back Where It All Started: The Battle of Ruusan**

Hey guys, Jack here with the second chapter of my newest story. Don't worry, I'm not abandoning my other Star Wars Fic, I'm just more inspired to write this one.

Disclaimer: Disclaimed, nuff said.

**CHAPTER 2**

It had been a week since the six had first setup camp on Ruusan, and things were ahead of schedule in Banes opinion.

Zannah had decided to expand her saber technique to include Makashi, since the second form of lightsaber combat didn't require kinetic strike power, just finesse. As a result she made a set of Curved-Hilt Lightsaber's that possessed interlocking hilts. (**AN: yeah, yeah, I know, I'm knocking off Ventress' style, but I'd be lying if I said Zannah doesn't need some tactical diversity**)

Cognus had managed to create two Synth-crystal's, setting one aside for when she felt she had enough experience to make her own set of lightsabers.

Hardin had been practicing using the Force to understand how things were made in his spare time, before he attempted to create a lightsaber of his own from spare parts he had found on one of the battlefields. It took him three tries to get it right.

The elder blond occasionally spares with his cousin and her apprentice, and often imitates Bane's preferred style, Djem So. The boy shows promise in the use of Form V, which is why Bane occasionally gives the kid a few pointers. He's even begun writing down a detailed explanation of both the duel-centric Djem So and classic Form V, Shien for the kid.

Darovit had done as Zannah had advised him to, and began using what power he possessed to identify plants that could be used to create healing salves, and other things of medicinal purpose. He found he was actually really good at it.

Githany, however, had greatly impressed Bane with her progress. She had managed to create a foundation for her technique by creating a barrier with her Lightwhip, and would use Makashi to dispose of her imaginary foes with minimal effort. Her Force mastery was nothing to scoff at either, her Lightning was almost as potent as his now; she had even created a new variant that she called electric bondage. The name is pretty self-explanatory.

XxxX

It was early in the morning, so early the sun had yet to rise, when Bane woke up. They had been sleeping in the freighter, since the main hold was large enough for the six of them to use as a sleeping quarters. He quietly got up, and snuck out of the ship. He had a habit of doing this morning routine that involved practicing his saber technique before dawn, one he had gotten into before they were cast away in time.

Once outside the ship, the snap-hiss of Bane igniting his lightsaber broke the silence as he began going through the Djem So combinations that Kas'im had taught him the first time around. He was a bit sloppier than he remembered, but attributed it to his instincts trying to help him develop muscle memory.

As he continued his morning practice, he sensed Githany nearby, it seems that she had snuck out of the ship earlier then he had. He sensed her emotional distress, and deactivated his lightsaber. Something was wrong, and he could sense it.

He followed her Force Signature until he came across her sitting by a stream, crying. He then called out to her, "What's got you so upset, Githany?"

Githany was so caught up in her emotions that she didn't sense him sneaking up on her, and jumped in surprise as she ignited her lightsaber, ready for a fight, only to see Darth Bane. She deactivated her weapon and sighed, "It's something I've kept to myself, something that the Jedi did because of my beauty."

Bane could already tell this wasn't going to be pretty, but that was to be expected, "Go on."

She gathered what little Self-control she had left and said, "Th-they removed m-my ovaries." The instant those words left her mouth, she broke down crying uncontrollably.

She would have fell to the ground had Bane not caught her, it was all he could do to keep himself from trying to march over to the Jedi encampment and kill each and every one of them. He knew he wouldn't like the answer, but asked anyways, "Why did they do it?"

"They said it was to spare me the shame of having some Sith Lord's rape baby, saying that they were afraid that I would be taken prisoner by the Sith if they had the chance," she answered bitterly, "But I know the truth is that they didn't trust me not to get into a relationship."

XxX

Zannah had been aware of her master's habit, but was surprised when she felt him break the routine, but soon figured out why: Githany was emotionally distraught. This had piqued her curiosity, so she woke her apprentice and cousins giving them an order, "follow me and keep quiet."

They used Zannah's spell of concealment to give them the ability to move fast enough to catch up to Bane, and stayed on the edge of the woods. What the four heard would change how Hardin and Darovit viewed the Jedi, and cement Zannah and Cognus' belief that they should be destroyed. Nodding to one another, Zannah dropped her spell of concealment, and they ran up to them and joined the embrace.

Darovit broke the hug first and growled, "Its official, I hate the Jedi."

Hardin nodded in agreement as his eyes briefly flashed yellow.

"They will pay for what they did to you," whispered Zannah as she affectionately kissed Githany's cheek, then brought the woman's face to her's and slipped her tongue into her mouth, surprising everyone present.

"Gross," cried her cousins.

Cognus licked her lips, it was a sensual sight.

Bane sighed, "This would be so much more interesting if Zannah was at least twelve." Her cousins looked at him prompting the man to say, "She's an early bloomer."

They stared blankly at the man before saying, "Pedofile." They soon found themselves floating in the air as they clawed at their throats.

"I seduced him when I was twenty boys, not the other way around," growled Zannah, "you'd do well to remember that."

The two barely choked out a yes ma'am before she released them.

Githany finally managed to shake off her shock before saying, "I wonder how things are going back on Korriban?"

XxxX

Qordis was not pleased. He had discovered that his ship, HIS ship, had been stolen, and had no doubt that Bane was behind it. That upstart had been a thorn is his side since he got here, leaving didn't help. Oh no, Bane saw to that by leaving a note on each students door.

They all said the same thing.

This academy is an insult to the Sith and the Dark Side, and Qordis is lining his own pockets with credit's that should be spent on giving the students a proper education. As punishment for his greed and short-sightedness, Githany and I liberated his ship, The _Valcyn_. If you want to know what it means to be Sith, spend more time in the library,

Darth Bane.

Needless to say, Qordis had lost the trust of his students, who now spent more time in the library reading the ancient tomes than listening to him. The only class they attended at this point was Kas'im's lightsaber instruction class. And worst of all, Qordis could do nothing to stop them, the tomes found in the library were simply too valuable to destroy.

Of all the students, none were more affected by Bane's desertion and words than the Zabrak Trio, particularly Sirak. At first, Sirak wanted revenge, and had initially believed that Bane ran away. Then he decided to humor the man, and went to see what the library held. He had to admit, Bane was on to something. As time went on, Sirak grew to respect the man who had manipulated him skillfully, and in doing so, reminded everyone that the Force is their greatest weapon.

He had mentally declared Bane his rival, and wanted to face him again. Sadly, this wasn't possible since that the man had left the Academy, but he couldn't blame him. Qordis was living the life with gourmet meals, while the students were fed slop.

He had little doubt that his rival went to Ruusan, though he doubted the man had killed Lord Kaan. It wasn't that Kaan was stronger than Bane; no, Sirak had no doubt that Darth Bane, as he now called himself, was more than capable of destroying Kaan. Sirak believed that Darth Bane was merely biding his time, waiting until the right time to strike, like a true Sith Lord would. That was the question that was plaguing his thoughts: when would the right time to strike be?

Sirak dismissed this question, if anyone knew the answer to that question, it was Bane himself.

His thoughts had then turned to the Darth Title. He had learned from Kas'im that it was a warning to ones fellow Sith; it said to them, "bow down, or be destroyed." Normally, Sirak wouldn't bow down to anyone, but after being defeated in such a manner had humbled him. If there was anyone who seemed to embody what that title meant, it was **_Darth_** Bane.

A part of him wanted to join Darth Bane, but the problem was he didn't want to risk compromising his rival's mission. He buried his face into his palm, he already knew where he was, all he needed to do was go there and let the Force guide him.

XxX

Convincing Llokay and Yevra to join him had been easy enough; the two were quite loyal to him. That and the fact he and Yevra have a thing going on didn't hurt either. They were looking to steal three Buzzard-class interceptors when they were confronted by Kas'im. "Going somewhere," asked the twilek blade master asked in a stern voice.

The three cringed at his question, Sirak wasn't sure if they should tell him the truth, but never got the chance. Kas'im presented them with three lightsaber's: a Saberstaff for Sirak, a Saberpike for Llokay, and a set of Sabershoto's for Yevra. "I know you intend to find and join Darth Bane; I would do so myself, however, I'm much more useful here," explained Kas'im, "so the least I can do is insure you are properly equipped."

The three were awestruck by this. Sirak was the first to regain his composure and bowed saying, "Thank you, Master Kas'im."

Kas'im smiled and nodded, before going his own way, allowing the three to take a set of _Buzzard_-class Interceptors as they flew off the Join Darth Bane.

The chains of Skere Kaan's lies were beginning to break.

XxxX

Cognus woke from her sleep, and knew she had to talk to Darth Bane about her vision.

She hopped to the floor and quietly walked up to where the Dark Lord lay sleeping, and began to shake him. "Lord Bane, wake up, I need to tell you something," she whispered.

Bane wasn't a heavy sleeper, so he woke up almost immediately and asked in a tired manner, "What is itCognus?"

"I had a vision concerning three Zabrak's; two males, one female, the female and one of the males looked identical, like they're twins, and the other male had yellow skin," answered Cognus.

Bane was wide awake and asked, "They intend to destroy me, don't they?" Cognus shook her head saying, "No milord, they intend to join you."

Bane had been surprised to hear this; he would not deny that Sirak was talented, if anything, he would make a valuable ally. It also helped that he was pretty much the top student at the academy, and if he joined Bane's cause, then others were soon to follow. "Do you know when they'll arrive?"

"By noon milord," answered Cognus.

Bane nodded, "I'll inform Zannah of this, and tell her to drop the spell of concealment for a brief moment."

Cognus nodded and went back to bed.

XxX

Bane did as he said he would and informed Zannah to keep her senses up. She said she wouldn't drop her Spell of Concealment when they arrived, saying it would be their test. Bane agreed to this, since they needed to prove their worth.

XxX

Upon arrival, the three made sure to suppress their presence in the Force. "He isn't here, I can't sense his presence," growled Llokay.

"That's because he's hiding it," countered Sirak, "he knows not to draw attention to himself; it would be foolishness to do otherwise." He smirked as he thought, '_it seems finding will be a challenge unto itself; well played my rival, well played._'

Sirak expanded his awareness in the Force, trying to find something that didn't fit. He could sense Kaan's encampment, as well as the encampment of Lord Hoth's Army of Light. But what caught his attention was an area about 250 meters in diameter that was clouded. It was closer to Kaan's encampment, which was about three kilometers to the north of this distortion.

"There," he spoke, "do you sense that?"

"Sense what," Yevra asked.

"That area that's clouded in the force, it's about three kilometers south of Kaan's encampment," he said excitedly.

Yevra focused on the location, "I sense it!"

"I do too," stated Llokay, "looks like you were right Sirak."

'_Soon my rival, soon we shall join forces,_' thought Sirak, '_and together we will bring the Jedi to their knees._'

XxX

Zannah was engaged in a duel against both her cousin Hardin, and her chosen apprentice, Darth Cognus while her master, Darth Bane, went over Zannah's Spell Book. She had put the finishing touches on her complete spell book last night, and had written it primarily in Sithese. Thankfully she had translated everything into basic on the bottom of the page along instructions on how to speak Sith. He was surprised by how detailed Zannah's explanations were; he was actually beginning to understand the intricacies of Sith Sorceries thanks to his apprentice.

Bane was brought out of his thoughts when three Buzzard-class interceptors came into the area of Zannah's Spell of Concealment, prompting the three to deactivate their lightsaber's and wait for the new arrivals to land.

Sirak was a bit surprised to see four small children along with Bane and Githany, so he decided to gauge their potential. The Iktotchi clearly possessed great potential, as did the blond boy. The brunette had hardly force connection at all, but he could tell that the young man was producing high quality healing salves, meaning his potential lay elsewhere. Then he turned his attention to the curly blond girl, and was practically overwhelmed by what he felt. This girl who was no older than ten possessed far greater power the Darth Bane, and had somehow mastered it.

Sirak made a mental note to ask Bane where he found the girl as he walked up to the man and knelt before him and the twins followed suit. "I must say, I'm surprised that you have so many younglings here, Darth Bane, even more so at the power that little blond girl possesses," he looked Bane in the eyes and asked, "How does she possess more power than you, and complete mastery of it?"

Bane waved his hand, and the three ignited their lightsabers and began practicing, again, prompting Sirak and the twins to observe. The three received another shock as they watched the curly blond keep her opponents at bay with Form III: Soresu. It wasn't her use of the form that shocked them, it was the way she moved combined with she wasted no energy. Clearly she was a master of the form. "Only Zannah can show you the answer to that question," answered Bane.

Sirak immediately realized he was talking about the girl, and decided to continue watching the match. It lasted for another fifteen minutes before Zannah had decided to end it, and activated the Duel-Phase function while separating her blades, placing the tips just inches from her opponents throats. "Better luck next time, guys, but you did well."

The boy rolled his eyes and mumbled something about overpowered cousin's while the iktotchi bowed and said, "thank you, my master."

Sirak was curious, especially about the Iktotchi's remark; he couldn't help but wonder how someone so young could be considered a master.

The girl then walked up to them, and knelt before Bane, "What is thy bidding my master."

"You are to show these three the truth, from both our Points of view, Zannah," commanded Bane.

Zannah rolled her eyes before repeating the same process for a third time, showing the three everything that had occurred, including their deaths.

At the end of it all Sirak stared hard at Bane, "tell me one good reason why I should believe any of this."

"Because I defeated you so easily when I fought you," answered Bane as he went back to reading Zannah's book.

"I take it you find that book extremely informative, master," asked Zannah.

Bane glanced at his apprentice, "I find it amazing that you wrote it in a way that helps me understand the intricacies of Sith Sorcery."

Sirak's eyes widened greatly, Sith Sorcery was not to be trifled with, and it had been suspected that those who could understand it were few and far between.

Zannah suddenly frowned as her eyes began glowing yellow, "we have uninvited guests."

"See to it that they are dealt with," responded Bane offhandedly.

Zannah giggled and said, "I already have."

XxX

Skere Kaan was a bit worried when the force signatures of three buzzard-class interceptors suddenly disappeared about three kilometers south of his encampment, so he sent out five scouts to investigate.

It was about half an hour later when only one returned, and he was in critical condition. He had made his way to the man's location, only to see what appeared to be several lacerations, but upon closer inspection he realized these wounds were not lacerations. The flesh had been disintegrated, and the wounds were clearly infected. It was miracle that the man was alive, let alone conscious. "What happened, what caused this," he demanded.

"It came out of nowhere," he answered in a pained voice, "this serpent of Dark Side Power." The man's breathing quickened as he rasped out, "nothing we did harmed it; it even absorbed our Force Lightning." The man then died, leaving Kaan fearful in ways he had never been before.

XxX

"You subjected them to Dark Side Tendrils," growled Bane as he shuddered from the intensity of the phantom pains thy shot through his shoulder and right arm just above the elbow.

Zannah smiled brightly and nodded happily, "I let one get away to let Kaan know to stay away from this place; he should live long enough to tell him the gist of what happened."

Sirak inched away from the girl slowly; the fact that his rival was fearful of this ability had put her at the top of the food chain in his mind.

"Well, at least I doubt Kaan will be foolish enough to waste more scouts in an attempt to find out what's here," sighed Bane, he really didn't like that technique.

XxX

Later that evening, Sirak approached Bane, "I can see how the Rule of Two works, and agree with the philosophy." He closed his eyes and said, "I also agree that two Sith can't hope to hunt down and kill all the Jedi by themselves." He then turned to the Sith'ari and ignited his Saberstaff, "let's spar, I need to work on my stamina, and you're the perfect opponent to do so against."

Bane smirked; Sirak was probably one of the few who could actually keep up with him, and having the Zabrak as a sparring partner would definitely help him improve his reaction time. "Alright then," answered as he ignited his lightsaber and went into the Djem So Attack stance, "let's begin."

The two started off strong, Sirak blending the forms of Lightsaber combat to create a whirlwind of death, while Bane ducked and dodged every attack sent his way before countering with a brutal series of Djem So strikes.

Sirak winced when he blocked the first strike directly, so he began using Soresu to avoid direct damage.

They fought for an hour and a half before Sirak couldn't take anymore. Bane on the other hand, had barely broken a sweat. "Tomorrow *pant* I'll last *wheeze* the full *gasp* two hours."

Bane smirked and said, "You're setting realistic goals for yourself, that's impressive."

The Zabrak chuckled, "I couldn't have picked a better rival if I tried."

"Rival," Bane asked cautiously, Sith rivals had a tendency to destroy one another.

Sirak smirked, "the one who will keep me at my strongest shall be my Rival."

Zannah had watched the fight carefully, and had been impressed with Sirak's skill and technique; the man's going to be one of the greatest duelists to ever live, that's for sure. She had no doubt that he would survive the war, the Zabrak was simply that determined.

His declaration had also intrigued Zannah; Rivalry between Sith Lords usually didn't end well, but she had a feeling about this one. "A good fight," she said calmly, "one could learn much from watching you two."

"One should expect great things to happen when rivals put aside their differences to achieve a common goal," Sirak answered smugly.

Bane smirked as he said, "If only our predecessor's had the same mentality; the Jedi would have been wiped out eons ago."

Sirak chuckled, "true that my rival, true that."

DONE

Time for explanations!

Today I'll explain Sirak's group joining Darth Bane, Githany, and the two saber shotos for Yevra

Sirak, as I had mentioned, was the top student at the academy, so for him to leave and join Darth Bane would undoubtedly have a significant impact on his fellow students. It also helps that Bane had directed his fellow students to the Library.

The Jedi removing her ovaries just felt like something the Jedi would do.

For those of you who don't know this, Kas'im discouraged the use of Jar'Kai tactics (duel wielding) in order to keep an edge over any students who would try to go against Kaan's way. Giving Yevra two saber shotos (these are what Yoda used, and Jar'Kai users tend to use these to give them an edge in speed and maneuverability) shows he is beginning to have a little more faith in the old ways.

Until next time,

Jack "The Ripper" Hellscythe


	3. Notice

hey folks, this is a note to tell you that i went through and refined the previous chapter, and i'm giving those of you who reviewed the last chapter, a chance to write another review for the refined version


	4. Chapter 3

**Back Where It All Began: The Battle of Ruusan**

Disclaimer: Disclaimed

Summary: When Darth Bane attempted the Essence Transfer on his apprentice Zannah, the Dark Side saw it fit to intervene and sent them back in time. Now they are back where it all began, at The Battle of Ruusan.

**CHAPTER 3**

It had been a two months since Sirak's group joined Darth Bane. The rivals had improved greatly in the time since the Zabrak Trio's arrival: Sirak could now last a full five hours whenever he sparred with Bane, and Bane had gained considerable skill in all Forms of Lightsaber Combat.

Sirak gave Zannah a few lessons in Makashi since he was skilled in each of the seven Forms; the girl was now on a practitioner's level with the Form.

Cognus finally created her own Lightsabers, and was training in Makashi, Soresu, Ataru, Niman, and Juyo.

Hardin was considerably skilled in the Djem So and was starting to study Ataru. As a result, he could hold his own for a full five minutes against Yevra, who had taken him as an apprentice, if he augmented his body with the Force.

Llokay found he was skilled in Battle Meditation and Force Melding, and would practice the use these abilities by coordinating the younglings when they scavenged the battlefields for supplies and other useful items.

Githany was improving by leaps and bounds; her special Jar'kai style was now compatible with Soresu, Ataru, and Niman. Add the fact that her skill in telekinesis was now at the point where she could pick up and throw three boulders weighing fifty kilos each, and you have a woman you don't want to mess with.

Darth Bane stood at the edge of the stream where he had found Githany crying, deep in thought.

"A credit for your thoughts," asked Sirak.

Bane acknowledged his rivals presence by replying, "Just thinking about what Githany told me."

Sirak cringed, he had heard about the injustice that the Jedi had done to her. Then it dawned on him, "You're planning to use that information against the Jedi, aren't you."

"If used correctly, entire star systems would join our cause," answered Bane.

Sirak nodded in agreement before asking, "How do you intend to do that?"

"After Kaan has been dealt with, I intend to setup a private interview that will involve some of the more prominent Sith Lord's, including Githany, you, and myself," Bane answered with a smirk.

Sirak had to admit, it's a great plan. This would allow them to create a general distrust of the Jedi, and they would gain numerous allies in the process. "Never took you for one to play politics," the Zabrak remarked.

"I'm a Sith Lord," Bane answered calmly, "I will use every tool I have at my disposal to win."

Sirak was impressed before asking, "Is there any exceptions to that statement?"

"I will not play around with weapons designed to destroy planets," Bane answered coldly, "such technological terror's waste resources by being built, and by destroying entire worlds."

Sirak snorted, "I can't argue with that."

Bane then turned and started heading back to camp, "We should head back."

Seeing no reason not to, Sirak followed Darth Bane back to camp.

XxX

When the two made it back to the camp, Darth Bane gathered everyone around and pulled out a map of the area. "We have two days until the time to confront Skere Kaan arrives," he said in a commanding tone, "It would take us about day to reach the encampment by foot and since this route can gives us the element of surprise, it is the one we'll be taking, and Zannah will use her Spell of Concealment to insure that we have this advantage."

The others nodded in agreement, the element of surprise was one of the best to have in a situation like this.

"Upon arrival, we will setup on the high plateau half a kilometer south of Kaan's encampment. We won't have the luxury of a campfire, so bring a blanket and wear whatever it is you're going to be fighting in. We'll be eating some of the MRE's we've managed to procure due to the lack of fire to cook anything with." He looked up and asked, "Any questions?"

Darovit raised his hand and asked, "How many Jars of Salve will we need?"

"As many as we can carry," answered Bane, "We have no idea how things will turnout during my fight with Kaan, and I'd like to be prepared, anything else?" Everyone shook their heads so he gave he command to start packing.

XxX

At the encampment of the Army of Light, Lord Hoth was sitting in his tent when he felt the force telling him that something big is going to happen, and whatever it is will not be good for the Jedi. "It's times like this when I wish Pernicar was still with us," he mumbled under his breath. His Padawan, Johun Othone walked into the tent with a troubled look on his face. "You sensed it too," he asked his Padawan.

"Yes master," Replied Johun, "I know that whatever is going to happen won't be good for the Jedi Order, but the worst part is that I don't know if the Light will be able to survive it."

Hoth sighed deeply, "All we can do at this point is pray."

XxX

Bane knew they could go faster if they wanted, but he knew there was someone Zannah wanted to see, so he counted on his apprentice wanting to make a detour.

It was when the group was halfway to their destination when Zannah suddenly asked to stop. The others wanted to know why, but Bane kept them from prying by saying it was something she had the right to do, and no one was going to infringe upon it.

"I'll be back in five minutes," Said Zannah.

Bane smirked as he said, "we'll be here when return thirty minutes from now."

As Zannah took off, Sirak turned and asked, "What is it she has to do?"

"She's having a reunion with a dear friend," Answered Bane.

XxX

Zannah jogged until she came across a special place, one inhabited by Bouncer's.

One of the giant green furball's floated up to her and asked, '_What is it you seek, child of the Shadow's._'

"I seek the Bouncer named Laa," she answered in an even tone.

One Bouncer that was big enough for her to ride on came up to her, '_It's been a while, hasn't it Rain._'

Zannah froze before stuttering out, "H-h-how?"

'_I had a dream three months ago,_' she answered, '_and in that dream I saw myself taking care of a small blond who was destined to become a Dark Lady of the Sith._'

"How did you come to the conclusion that it was more than a dream?"

'_A month ago, I saw you and four other children scavenging one of the battlefields, and knew that it was more than a dream, so I've watched you._' Laa then managed to put Zannah on her head, '_I realized that no child could possess such skills and I was able to bypass your mental barriers when you slept. Let us go to your friends, Rain._'

Zannah said nothing as she sat on her friends head, smiling brightly; she had her friend back, and that is all that mattered right now.

XxX

Bane and the others sat there for ten minutes before Zannah returned, riding on the head of the biggest Bouncer any of them had ever seen. "Everyone, this is Laa. Laa, this is everyone," said Zannah with the brightest smile they'd ever seen in her face.

"I take it your friend already knew the truth," asked Bane.

Zannah nodded happily, "Mmhmm."

Cognus was curious about the significance of this bouncer, and delved into her master's past. When she saw the Jedi kill Laa, it cemented her loyalty to the cause: the Jedi would fall.

Zannah noticed the emotions lf her apprentice and asked, "Something troubles you, Cognus?"

The Iktotchi turned to her master and replied, "I may enjoy watching two alpha-predators fight for dominance, but what happened in the previous timeline was senseless slaughter."

"Good to know you don't simply kill for pleasure," Bane said mirthfully.

"Exactly why I like seeing two Alpha-Predators that would never meet naturally fight to the death," countered Cognus, "it's one of the few things I don't use my power of Foresight on: I want to see what happens next without knowing it already."

"Sounds fascinating," said Hardin offhandedly.

Cognus grinned impishly and said, "Maybe I'll to take you to see one of those fights when we're done here on Ruusan."

"No way," Zannah said in a shocked tone, "Since when?!"

Hardin blushed and said, "A week ago."

"He's been a very doting boyfriend," added Cognus, "and he's a great kisser to boot."

'_I'd like to ask your leader what his intends to do once he defeats Skere Kaan,_' asked Laa.

Bane simply kept moving forward as he replied, "Once I gain control of the Sith, I'll give the command to withdraw for the time being."

Llokay was about to ask if Bane had lost his mind, but Sirak put up his hand, effectively silencing him. He then cleared his throat and asked, "Why would you give such a command?"

"I believe that the only chance we have at winning this war is to secure the Outer Rim Territories, and work our way in," Answered Darth Bane. "The Outer Rim has an abundance of resources," he stopped and looked everyone in the eyes, "If we secure those resources, we secure our victory."

"But that could take centuries," Added Yevra.

Bane smirked, "I happen to have a plan that will tip the balance in our favor. I intend to setup a private interview from an undisclosed location that will involve some of the more prominent Sith Lords," he then set his gaze upon Githany, "Your story will bring countless systems to join our cause."

Githany froze; she wasn't sure if she could do that without breaking down like she did when she told him. "You're counting on me to have an emotional breakdown during this interview, aren't you?"

"The people who live in the Outer Rim already hate the Republic to a degree, and showing them this side of the Jedi will only strengthen that hatred," he explained.

Githany sighed, "Alright, I'll do it."

Seeing no other reason to delay their journey, they continued towards their destination.

XxX

It was an hour before sundown when they reached the plateau. Darth Bane grabbed the Macrobinoculars he had found in the freighter, and began surveying the encampment. He saw plenty of soldiers, but not a single Sith Lord was out and about. This combined with the feelings of contempt and frustration he was sensing told him that he was right in schedule.

"We enter the camp at first light tomorrow morning," Darth Bane said to his comrades before grabbing a MRE pack, "we eat then prepare for bed."

They didn't need to be told twice, so they grabbed a single MRE pack each and began eating. They finished eating five minutes later, and began preparing for bed.

Yevra and Sirak were snuggling under the blanket they shared, as were Cognus and Hardin. Darovit, who had volunteered for first watch, sat down with a blaster rifle he had managed to find during one of their scavenging runs.

Githany had removed her armor, since it wasn't built for comfort and her robes since she had been wearing them all day.

What they saw was jaw dropping: Githany was wearing an all-black lingerie set consisting of a corset, thong, garter belt, and thigh high fishnet stockings. Githany smirked seductively and asked, "Would my Lord and Lady care if we shared body heat his night?"

Zannah stifled a moan as she bit her lip, silently cursing her physical age, and gave Bane a pleading look.

Bane knew this would be difficult, that it would take every ounce of self-control he has to keep things from getting out of hand, "Alright, but no sex until Zannah's sixteenth birthday, which will be spent on Zeltros."

"Deal," the two said without a moment's hesitation before Bane wrapped a blanket around the three of them.

Llokay rolled his eyes before getting Darovit's attention, "wake me in about four hours kid, I'll take second watch."

Darovit simply nodded, he was focused on the task at hand.

XxX

Llokay had been on watch for the past four hours when he saw the first light coming over the horizon. "Time to wake everyone up," he muttered to himself before going about said task. After Githany had redressed herself, they all had an MRE for breakfast.

"The time has come to deal with Kaan's foolishness," Darth Bane said calmly, "we move."

Everyone followed the Sith'ari except Laa, who had opted to keep a safe distance from the battle to come. Needless to say, Zannah was delighted with Laa's decision.

XxX

When Lord Kaan woke up that morning, he couldn't shake the feeling that something big is about to happen, and his death would be the result. "I'm just being paranoid," he said with a crazed look in his eyes, "I'm in complete control."

XxX

Darth Bane's group walked up to the main entrance of the encampment with their hoods up, the shadows hiding their features, when they were stopped by two non-Force-sensitive guards. "Halt," they said sternly, "What business do you have here?"

Darth Bane didn't say anything as he extended his hand and snapped their necks with the Force. They proceeded onward like nothing happened, and since they appeared to be Sith, no one stopped them.

XxX

Kaan, Seviss Vaa, Kopecz, and Borthis, were joined by the recently arrived Qordis, Shenayag, Orilltha, LaTor, Hezzoran, and Kas'im. They were having a meeting concerning the whereabouts of Darth Bane, and several of his fellow academy students, including two that showed great promise: Sirak and Githany.

"These traitors must be dealt with," Qordis said angrily.

Kas'im snorted, "The only traitor I see is you, Qordis. You were living like a king eating five star meals while the rest of us ate slop."

Kaan massaged his temples as he mumbled under his breath, "Can this day get any worse?"

Unfortunately for him, Fate happened to be on her period that day. Darth Bane and his group walked in unannounced pulled down their hoods. "I'm sure that each of you has heard of me by now," Bane said coyly, "for those of you who haven't, I am Darth Bane, Dark Lord of the Sith, and the Sith'ari who was spoken of in prophecy." Bane looked Kaan right in the eyes, "this fool has been using the Jedi Mind Trick to insure your loyalty."

Kaan's eyes widened in terror as he mentally screamed, '_How could he have possibly known that!?_'

Bane then called upon the Force, drawing his lightsaber from his belt before he ignited it saying, "I challenge you, Skere Kaan, for the position of leadership."

DONE!

Explanations: Today I will be explaining Bane's plan.

It is true that most people who lived in the Outer Rim at that time didn't like the republic. Githany's story will intensify that hatred, and give the Sith almost complete control of the Outer Rim, which, as I said, has the bulk of the Resources in the Galaxy.


	5. Chapter 4

**Back Where It All Began: The Battle of Ruusan**

Hey everybody, Jack here! And before you ask, yes I'm working on the next chapter of **ROTS:AU**, and it's going to be a LONG one.

Disclaimer: Disclaimed

Summary: When Darth Bane attempted the Essence Transfer on his apprentice Zannah, the Dark Side of the Force saw it fit to intervene, and sent them back in time. Now they are back where it all began, at The Battle of Ruusan.

**CHAPTER 4**

Time seemed to stand still for the briefest of moments before Kaan began laughing madly. "If destroying you will insure my reign, then so be it!" He then drew his lightsaber, and snatched Qordis' using the force and charged Bane.

Bane responded by igniting his own lightsaber and began fending off Kaan's assault. 'Kaan's a user of Juyo,' Bane thought to himself, 'explains how he fell to the Dark Side.'

XxX

Qordis was red in the face with rage; this upstart had the audacity to make a play for power! He was about to unleash the strongest blast of force lightning he could muster upon Bane when he found Kopecz blade at his throat, "I don't think so, traitor."

Qordis cursed his luck for the second time that day.

XxX

Bane continued to stay on the defensive, looking for an opening in Kaan's assault, but was having a hard time finding one.

Sirak saw this, and decided to even the odds, so he tossed Darth Bane his Saberstaff.

Bane caught the weapon in his left hand and ignited both blades before going on the offensive. Using Ataru as a basis for the Jar'kai style he would open with, Bane was beginning to put Kaan on the defensive.

Kaan was not pleased with this, and unleashed a blast of Force Lightning in an attempt to get the upper hand.

Rather than dodge, Bane blocked it with his own lightsaber, which absorbed the attack quite easily. He then managed to get close enough to Kaan to kick him in the chest, sending him flying.

Kaan crashed into a nearby tent, bringing it down on top of him. "Is that all that you've got," Bane asked mockingly, using Dun Möch to defeat Kaan on the psychological level.

Kaan exploded from the rubble as he screamed in rage before charging Bane again. This time Bane found that Kaan was not holding back, giving his all to this fight.

'Guess I'll be using that after all,' Bane thought to himself before using a powerful Force Wave to push Kaan back. He then deactivated one of the blades on Sirak's Saberstaff, and settled into a stance he had never seen before. Sirak's blade was held in front of him, the blade in a reverse grip often used by classic Form V users, while Bane's was held in a one handed version of the Djem So attack Stance. "I honestly hoped I wouldn't have to play my newest trump card, but beggars can't be choosers."

Bane then rushed Kaan unleashing a vicious onslaught of both Shien and Djem So attacks. Before Kaan could even register a pattern of attack, Bane had effectively cut off his hands, leaving him defenseless.

Bane tossed Sirak his weapon; then caught Kaan's out of the air. "History will remember this day," he said loud enough for all to hear as he ignited Kaan's lightsaber and put the blades in a scissor pattern at the fool's neck. "It is this day that the Sith'ari shall begin remaking the Sith," He proclaimed just seconds before cutting Kaan's head off.

As Skere Kaan's headless corpse fell to the ground, Bane turned to the council Kaan had setup and said, "Each of you shall face Judgement this day." He then walked up to the throne Kaan once occupied and sat upon it, "we'll start with Qordis."

Qordis was immediately fearful for his life, he knew Bane had a monstrous grudge against him, and was beyond terrified because of it.

"For the crime of stealing from the treasury to line his own pockets, and withholding information one the whereabouts of the Holocron of Freedan Nadd, I hereby sentence you to death," Bane said as he stretched out his hand, unleashing a full powered blast of Force Lightning, killing him almost instantly. By the time he was done, Qordis was beyond recognition.

"Pack up immediately, we're withdrawing," Ordered Bane. He then got up and made a speech, "but do not mistake this order with weakness, we have not been beaten. Instead, the Sith shall secure the Outer Rim territories first, in the meantime, I intend to retrieve the Holocron of Freedan Nadd. We shall regroup at Korriban"

"You're not going alone Bane," Zannah chided, she had been less than thrilled with him when she realized he had wrecked the _Valcyn_. "I suggest you take Githany."

Kopecz was extremely wary of this girl from the moment he laid eyes on her. She carries herself like a master, and her Force Signature has a sense of refinement about it, one that sends shivers down his spine.

Bane nodded and signaled Githany to join him.

XxxX

As Bane and Githany finished restocking the ships food and water supply, they were approached by Sirak and Kas'im. "I could sense the bond between you and the girl Bane, and while I want answers, I am willing to wait until after you return."

Sirak cleared his throat, "how long should this journey take you?"

"If all goes well, just a few days," answered Bane.

"Is there anything you want done while you're gone," Kas'im asked.

Bane smirked and said, "Actually, there is: I want to see the Gloom Walkers upon my return."

"It shall be done milord," replied Kas'im.

Kopecz heard what Bane said and remarked, "Didn't take you for the sentimental type."

"I'm not, but I would like to see the look on Lieutenant Ulabore's face when he sees me standing before him as Darth Bane, Reigning Dark Lord of the Sith," Bane said with a malicious grin, he could already see the fool begging for his life.

Kopecz had to admit, it was going to be funny as hell to see how Ulabore would react when he discovered the sergeant he had supposedly handed over to the brotherhood to be executed was not only alive, but now has the power and authority to execute him.

Bane then got into the _Valcyn_'s cockpit followed by Githany, who sat in his lap, and the two set off for Dxun.

XxxX

Lord Hoth was surprised when he felt that Skere Kaan had died, but for some odd reason that didn't put his mind at ease. He can feel a sense of joy coming from the Dark Side, as if it is celebrating the death of The Dark One, as Kaan had come to be known.

Valenthyne Farfalla sensed this too, and was now meditating alongside his friend, trying to understand the meaning behind this. Unfortunately, neither could see through the Darkness that clouded their vision. The only thing they could be certain of was that whoever killed Kaan is now the one leading the Sith, and had a plan to destroy the Jedi.

XxxX

Bane was been deep in thought; he was trying to think of a way to restore Githany's ability to procreate. He knew that she, like Zannah, could bear powerful children who would be potential heirs to the throne of his Empire, but the Jedi had stolen that from her. So far, all he could come up with was creating a clone, and transplanting the ovaries. The problem is that this replacement set probably wouldn't be able to handle the strain of the Dark Side, and wither away, leaving her sterile.

This would require the aid of a healer, one as talented as Caleb. He had little doubt that he could get Caleb to agree after hearing Githany's; even the Senate would agree that what the Jedi did to her is a grave injustice. The problem is Zannah: she might see this as an act of betrayal.

"A credit for your thoughts," asked Githany, effectively breaking him out of his thoughts.

Bane glanced down at her and said, "I've been trying to think of a way to restore what the Jedi took from you, and I believe it possible."

"Then what's got you so worried," she asked, her voice showing the excitement she was struggling to contain.

Bane sighed, "Zannah might see this as an act of betrayal, and since she's more powerful than I am.."

"She could easily destroy both of us," Githany surmised. She nestled her head between his shoulder and neck and whispered into his ear in a sultry tone, "Then we'll just have to prove that isn't the case, Milord."

The way those words rolled of Githany's tongue sent shivers down his spine: Force knows this is going to be the longest six years of his life.

XxxX

Back on Ruusan, the Sith had loaded the last of the encampments structures onto the transports, and were now in the process of boarding the shuttles.

When Zannah had taken command of the situation, she had been challenged by Kopecz. After being subjected to Zannah's sorcery, he soon realized that Zannah was not to be trifled with.

When asked why she didn't kill him, she answered that it would have been a waste to do so.

"That's the last group," Zannah said to herself before she walked over to the freighter she had used to get here, flanked by her cousin's and her apprentice. Some wondered why she seemed so attached to the ship; it was more than two thousand years old. The truth was that she had actually taken a liking to the ship.

As Zannah did a system check, Darovit took a seat beside her, signifying that he'll be her co-pilot. Cognus and Hardin had taken the liberty of manning the turrets, since they would have to get past the numerous ships' being employed by the Jedi.

Once the ship took off, they were being flanked by the two Buzzard-class Interceptors, piloted by the Sirak and Yevra. "We'll be your wing men for this battle Lady Zannah, over," Sirak's voice said over the Comm.

"Copy that, over and out," replied Zannah.

As they broke the atmosphere, they felt the invigorating effects of Llokay's battle meditation wash over them. The Sith had a significant number actual warships in their fleet, the Jedi had a handful. The Army of Light's star fleet consists almost entirely of civilian shuttles and freighters that have been outfitted with whatever weapons they could get their hands on. However, what the Jedi lacked in the technological aspects, they made up for with both numbers and skilled pilots.

Zannah grinned as evilly as she could and said, "This is where the fun begins."

XxX

On board the lead vessel of the Jedi Fleet, Ithorian Jedi Master Worror began to use his Battle Meditation. The Sith weren't going to get away easily, he'd see to that himself.

XxX

On board the now deceased Skere Kaan's Flagship, _Nightfall_, Llokay was preparing his own battle meditation. "Did you honestly believe we weren't prepared for such a thing," Llokay asked mockingly, "Skere Kaan was not the only Sith Lord to possess the power of Battle Meditation, Jedi scum."

XxX

The Battle was underway and right from the start things were at a stalemate. "Sirak, Yevra, cover me," ordered Zannah, "I'm going to dispose of the Jedi using Battle Meditation."

"Heard, understood, and acknowledged," confirmed Yevra.

Sirak shouted, "HUA!"

The freighter dodged, ducked, and weaved between the blaster fire, Cognus and Hardin taking down the oppositions fighter support whenever the opportunity presented itself. Sirak and Yevra were doing their job, seeing to it that Zannah got where she was going.

Upon arrival to the ships hanger bay, Zannah unstrapped herself and said, "Hardin, you and Darovit will watch the ship, Cognus and I will deal with any Jedi we encounter. Her ability to muddle their connection to the Force will be most useful."

Hardin wasn't too pleased with being forced to stay put, but he couldn't blame her; they needed make sure their ride out was intact when the two returned. "Just come back alive and I'll do it," he answered.

"That won't be a problem, dear cousin," she chimed, "I recognize their presence, and he is not a fighter."

XxX

The troopers had amassed in the Hanger, waiting for their enemy to come forth. The surprise written on their faces was entertaining in Zannah's opinion, after all, no one expected to little girls to walk down the boarding ramp and begin slaughtering their opposition.

Having dealt with the troopers, the two continued towards the bridge. Upon reaching the blast door, they were confronted by a Twi'lek Jedi Knight, his name didn't matter to them since he'd be dead soon anyways. "Didn't think the Sith would start Recruiting so young," he said with sorrow.

"One could say the same of the Jedi," Zannah countered as she drew her blades and ignited them. She performed what is known as the Jedi Salute before settling into Makashi's opening Stance, "Let's play, Jedi."

Seeing no alternative, he ignited his blue blade and began using Ataru. Unfortunately for him, Zannah was already familiar with the Form, and was capable of using Soresu on an instinctual level.

He was surprised by her skill in what was clearly Form III; she was on a Master level with the form, which should be impossible for a child. But he was deeply disturbed by the fact that his ability to draw on the Force was being hampered somehow.

"You'll find out soon enough," she taunted before activating the duel-phase function of the blade in her left hand and stabbed him in the chest, "We're just full of surprises." Her enemy defeated, Zannah deactivated the Blade in her right hand, and turned the duel-phase function off. She then went up to the blast door, where Cognus was already half way through cutting an entrance. Once the Iktotchi had finished cutting the hole, Zannah stepped through. The blond slowly walked up the Ithorian, taking in his growing despair before cutting his head off. "That takes care of that," she said with satisfaction, "Let's get back to the ship."

Cognus bowed her head saying, "At once, my master."

XxX

The Jedi Forces were beginning to feel the pressure now that Worror had fallen, it wouldn't be long before they would have to let the Sith pass. Once the Freighter had exited the ships hanger, the Sith unleashing a volley of heavy blaster cannon fire, ripping it to shreds. "Let them pass," Ordered Valenthyne Farfalla.

One of the ships Officers turned and said, "Sir, with all due respect-."

"If we keep this up, we'll be wiped out," he barked, "give the order to let them pass."

XxX

The Jedi Fleet began parting, signifying that they were letting the Sith go. "It seems they've decided to cut their losses," mused Zannah, "We should do the same: all ships, prepare to make the Jump to Hyperspace, set your coordinates for Korriban."

The commanders did as they were ordered, and set off for the Sith Home World.

On board his ship, Master Farfalla couldn't help but wonder if he made the right choice.

XxxX

Bane and Githany had finally arrived at Dxun, the former already planning to not only recover the Holocron of Freedan Nadd, but also see if he could at least get a pair of Orbalisk's for breeding, something that if done correctly, could be used to equip his forces with their chitinous hides. Once they landed outside the tomb Bane turned to his companion, "Stay with the ship, I won't be long."

"You better not be," she said dangerously. Her tone then took a more seductive tone as she said, "Otherwise I'll have to... Punish you."

Bane wasn't too sure if he should be late on purpose or not, but decided against it; things were going to hard enough for the next six years, no need to make it harder.

(WARNING: MICRO-LEMON AHEAD, SKIP TO THE DESIGNATED MARKER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO READ IT)

Once Bane disappeared into the Tomb of Freedan Nadd, Githany quickly removed her armor, robes, bra, and thong. Sitting in the cockpit wearing only her garter belt and stockings, Githany began to stroke her entrance with her right hand, while she groped her left breast and pinched her nipple.

She let out soft moans of pleasure as she penetrated her pussy with her index and middle fingers, pumping in and out at a steadily increasing pace. As she felt her core begin to tighten, she had a wonderful idea: she sent a low powered jolt of Force Lightning throughout her womanhood, causing her to scream in ecstasy as her eyes rolled back into her head, and her back arched as she experienced a climax the likes of which she had never felt before. By the time she regained the power of rational thought the first thing to enter her mind was, 'I must have cum two or three times!'

She then redressed herself, and made sure to get the scent out of the ship, wouldn't want to get caught.

(MICRO-LEMON OVER)

XxX

Bane could sense what Githany was doing the minute he entered the temple, but wasn't surprised. He was honestly amazed they hadn't done anything while they were stuck inside the Valcyn. He banished these thoughts from his mind, he had work to do.

He continued to make his way down the corridors until he came across the room where the giant cube of black metal kept him from his prize: the Holocron of Freedan Nadd, and the Orbalisk's. Bane knew without a doubt that the Orbalisk's would be an invaluable asset during the war. The near invincibility they would provide him would still serve him, even after the parasitic organisms were killed. No need to get rid of their hides, after all, materials that Lightsabers can't cut through were a rare commodity thanks to the Jedi.

Bane soon found himself standing in front of the giant black cube that separated him from the Holocron of Freedan Nadd, and the Orbalisk's. Darth Bane then called on the Force to remove the block like he did in the previous timeline. It was considerably easier this time around, but that's because he knew how much effort he needed to put into doing so. With the block removed, Darth Bane walked towards the pedestal where the Pyramid containing the knowledge and teachings of Freedan Nadd. He would effortlessly dodge Orbalisk's as they fell down attempting to latch onto him, but he had no intention of allowing that until he had the Holocron in his possession.

When he reached the pedestal, Bane grabbed the Holocron, and allowed on to land on his back. It hurt, but he didn't scream because he already knew what to expect, and had experienced far worse. He turned and walked out the chamber, allowing only on other to attach itself to his chest. Once out he put the cube back in place and made his way out of the tomb.

XxX

Githany had been waiting for fifteen minutes when Darth Bane emerged from the tomb with the Holocron in hand and what she assumed to be one of the Orbalisk's on his chest. "Took you long enough," she chided, "That an Orbalisk on your chest?"

"I have one on my back too," answered Bane, "and with the Holocron in our possession, we can now return to Korriban."

Githany smirked and said, "I'm surprised that you're willing to have anything to do with that world."

"There's already a usable base of operations," Darth Bane Countered, "I see no reason not to make use of it."

Githany nodded on understanding as Bane sat at the controls and prepped the ship for the journey.

XxxX

The Gloom Walkers were quite surprised to hear that Skere Kaan was dead, and that his successor wanted to speak with them.

Lieutenant Ulabore had gotten a particularly swelled head, thinking he was going to be given a medal or something. His subordinates were disgusted with the man, none more than Lucia. Their winning streak had gone down the tube ever since Sergeant Dessel was executed.

"He'll get his just desserts soon enough," the voice of a little girl said from behind her.

Lucia turned around to see a girl with curly blond hair being flanked by an Iktotchi girl with inky black hair who is a couple years younger.

The blond smiled and said, "I'm Zannah, and yes that's what my parents named me."

"Lucia," the woman answered, "Why'd your parent's name you Zannah?"

"Probably because they were perverts," she answered, "Hardin, Hard on; Darovit, Deep Throat it. Honestly me and my cousins had to of had the horniest parents on Somov Rit!"

Lucia's mouth was wide open as she stared at the little girl, these were not things a little girl talked about, let alone knew anything about.

"Let's just say that I'm smarter than your average girl," she replied with a bright smile. "Come Cognus, we have much to do!"

Lucia watched the two walk away before shaking her head on disbelief. "Must have something to do with this planet," she muttered to herself.

She continued to walk about before she noticed the Twi'lek who had taken Des to be executed, Lord Kopecz if she remembered correctly. Against her better judgment, she approached him and asked, "Lord Kopecz, right?"

Kopecz remembered her from when he had brought Bane to the academy, "Yes, though I don't know your name, but you are familiar."

"I was there when you took Sergeant Dessel into custody before his execution," she answered in an even tone before saluting him saying, "Corporal Lucia of the Gloom Walkers Sir."

Kopecz could sense her anger towards him, and would have struck her for it had Zannah forbidden him from doing so under penalty of Sith Sorcery. "Ah, I remember now. Personally, I think the Sergeant had made the right call, but I had my orders given by Lord Kaan himself, so there wasn't much I could do."

Lucia's grimaced before saying, "Didn't stop you from having him executed."

Kopecz immediately struck her across the cheek, only to feel a shiver go down his spine as a presence suddenly appeared behind him. "It seems you couldn't follow my orders," Zannah said darkly as a black mist gathered into a serpent of Dark Side Power, "Now you must suffer the consequences."

"YOU SAID I'D BE SUBJECTED TO SITH SORCERY," Kopecz screamed in terror.

Zannah giggled as the yellow glow of the Dark Sore flooded her eyes, "Silly boy, this just happens to be my most powerful Sith Sorcery: Dark Side Tendrils." The serpent then lunged forward and grazed his leg, causing him to scream in pain. The empty cold of the Void already washing over him as the serpent repositioned itself to make a second strike. "Have mercy," he pleaded.

"Those who beg the Sith for mercy, do not receive it," Zannah replied as the mist rose up and claimed his body.

Lucia was gaping at Zannah, trying to grasp what she had just witnessed before asking, "What the hell?"

"Kopecz was rude to Darth Zannah, Kopecz paid the price," replied the blond. She then looked up to the sky causing Lucia to see what she was looking at. It was a ship made by the Brotherhood of Darkness for high Ranking members. "My master, Darth Bane, has returned."

That caught Lucia's attention; this girl was the apprentice of the new leader of the Brotherhood of Darkness. 'Explains why she could do what she did,' Lucia thought to herself.

"Go gather the rest of your squad, and tell them to prepare to be addressed by Darth Bane," ordered Zannah, "If Ulabore gives you trouble, tell him he'll be brought before Lord Bane on the charge of High Treason."

Lucia saluted the girl before doing as she was told.

XxX

Ten minutes later, Lucia had already gathered the bulk of the Gloom Walkers; the only one left was the unit's commanding officer, Lieutenant Ulabore. "Sir, I've received orders and was told to relay them to you," said Lucia, "The Gloom Walkers are to be assembled in preparation to be addressed by Darth Bane."

Ulabore turned and asked condescendingly, "Is that so, Corporal."

"I was also told to inform that if you give me difficulty about this, that you will be brought before Lord Bane on the charge of High Treason," Lucia said stiffly.

That gave Lieutenant Ulabore pause, he knew damn well that the Sith don't play games, so he complied.

XxX

Bane had made sure to replace the chest plate before sitting on the throne. "The Gloom Walkers are right outside the throne room, milord," said Sirak from the kneeling position.

"Very well," said Bane before pulling his hood up, using the shadows to conceal his face, "send them in."

XxX

As the Gloom Walkers walked in, they noticed the imposing figure wearing a hooded cloak. The shadows hid their face, so they couldn't get a good look at him. The only thing any of them could see was the glowing yellow eyes. Ulabore knelt before he reigning Dark Lord of the Sith and said, "It's an honor to finally meet you in person, Lord Bane."

"Funny you should say that," Bane chuckled as he pulled down his hood, "when you were quite happy to be rid of me."

Lucia couldn't believe her eyes; Des was alive! "It's impossible," Ulabore cried, "You're supposed to be dead!"

"Now that's where you were wrong, Lieutenant," Bane said mockingly, "The whole mission had been an elaborate rouse, designed to figure out whether or not I was Force-sensitive, and as you can see, I am far more powerful than Skere Kaan was."

"I want you to understand I hold no grudge against you for handing me over to the Sith," continued Bane, "I know that it was the will of the force for me to be here."

Ulabore relaxed, his fears abated, but it was short lived.

"That being said, you were willing to send us to our doom," countered Bane, "and for that you will be executed in whatever manner the Gloom Walkers see fit."

"Ulabore deserves to die at the hands of the one he betrayed," said Lucia, gaining a cheer of agreement from the other Gloom Walkers.

Bane smiled evilly and said, "As you wish." He then began to channel the Dark Side feeding the Orbalisk's that released the chemicals into his blood stream, creating a cycle of power before unleashing it in a concentrated blast of Violet Force Lightning.

In the blink of an eye, Bane had turned Lieutenant Ulabore into a charred corpse. "I now promote Lucia to the rank of Captain, making her the commanding officer of the Gloom Walkers," declared Darth Bane, "and as of now, I am going to personally train the Gloom Walkers as my Elite Guard."

"I don't know what to say," answered Lucia, it was all so surreal to her, "we'll try to meet your standards De- Lord Bane."

Bane chortled briefly, "You can call me Des if like, Captain Lucia; I wouldn't hold it against any of the Gloom Walkers if you did."

"Sir, yes Sir," the Gloom Walkers chanted together.

**DONE!**

Time for another round of Explanations!

Today, I'll be explaining what it was Bane used against Skere Kaan, Everyone's more than justified fear of Zannah, Why I think Zannah would be upset with Bane when she found out the _Valcyn _had been destroyed, Why they regrouped at Korriban, and why Bane made the Gloom Walkers his Elite Guard when he could choose a handful of capable Force-Sensitive's to do the same.

What Bane used was a Jar'Kai (duel weilding) variant of Form V that I created. I checked to see if there was one; there wasn't.

Zannah is the only person alive who is undoubtedly more powerful than Darth Bane.

Zannah had been quite enamored with the ship when she first saw it, so I think she would have been upset.

While Bane is not particularly fond of Korriban, he knows and understands the significance it holds for the Sith.

I have three reasons for making the Gloom Walkers his Elite Guard. The first reason is Political: he makes himself more approachable by making a team of ordinary people his Elite Guard. The second is personal: He knows that they are all loyal to him. And the third reason is based on Revan's teachings: a group of Force-Sensitive's would inevitably try to kill him.


End file.
